Tag Archives: Nuggets

Sports

Recap: Nuggets hang on to beat Clippers 101-94

Leave a comment

In what was arguably the most important game of the year the Denver Nuggets showed both the continual flashes of brilliance since the trade deadline and the red flags that are plaguing the second unit. Leading by 18 at one point, the Nuggets let the Clippers crawl back into the game but ultimately were able to hold on for a critical 101-94 win.

The Nuggets’ starters continue to look unguardable and provide an incredibly balanced attack, with all five in double figures and a healthy distribution of 28 assists. Jamal Murray led the way with 23 and had some daggers late in the game to seal the win and Aaron Gordon continues to gel with 14 points, 6 boards and 6 assists. Him cutting while opposing teams double or triple Jokic is deadly. More impressive was his defense on Kawhi, who had 24 but had to work for every single one of those points.

Denver never trailed tonight but that doesn’t mean it was an easy win. Leonard had a really strong third quarter with 11 points in the frame as the Clippers were able to chip into Denver’s lead. LA also really picked up the defensive intensity in the second half, showing multiple guys on both Jokic and Murray which really bogged down Denver’s offense. The Nuggets also had 9 turnovers in the second half compared to just 3 in the first.

The real issue came, once again, from the bench minutes. Murray + the reserves was pretty awful in the fourth quarter; the Clippers really focused on stopping Jamal and no one else could score. Meanwhile, the Nuggets hemorrhaged points on the other end as Paul George, Terrance Mann and Ivica Zubac were able to score at will. Facu’s minutes were pretty bad and seem to be the common denominator with all this. Denver’s bench was outscored considerably by 30 to 11. Not great.

Nikola Jokic had a visibly frustrating game. The Clippers did a great job at sending double and triple-teams to bother him, but what bothered him the most might have been the lack of foul calls. This was the fifth game this season that Jokic failed to get to the line. For a center who spends so much time around the rim and has the scratches to show for it, this is unacceptable. It’s unreal how the NBA’s leading MVP candidate is blatantly denied the star treatment. That isn’t to say he had a bad game by any means. Joker finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists and was +13 on the night. Denver was still a better team by far when he was on the court, and his presence on the floor in the fourth calmed the storm. Is he the league’s MVP? He sure is.

Read original article here

Sports

Aaron Gordon debuts for Denver Nuggets, sees ‘no limits’ on team’s potential

Leave a comment

It took only a few minutes for Nikola Jokic to find Aaron Gordon for his first dunk as a Denver Nugget.

In his Denver debut, Gordon hit 6 of 9 shots and scored 13 points to help the Nuggets crush the Atlanta Hawks 126-102 at Ball Arena.

After Denver led the Hawks by as much as 33 in a dominant team effort inside the paint, Gordon saw unlimited potential for the Nuggets.

“I see no limits for this team,” Gordon said. “It looks like we have all the pieces that we need. We have the depth. It’s like we are covered in a lot of different spots offensively, defensively.

“As long as we are all working together, there’s no stopping us.”

With a new starting lineup featuring Gordon alongside Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Will Barton, the Nuggets (28-18) dominated Atlanta inside, outscoring the Hawks 50-32 in the paint and outrebounding them 49-31.

With Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr. and Gordon on the floor, the Nuggets scored 55 points and were a plus-17 in 20 minutes, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Gordon took a pass from Jokic and curled off a Jokic screen for a 17-foot pull-up jumper for his first basket as a Nugget with 9:25 to go in the first quarter.

“It didn’t look like it was his first day playing with us,” said JaMychal Green, who scored 20 points off the bench.

Less than a minute later, Jokic hit a cutting Gordon in the paint for a twisting two-handed dunk. Three of Jokic’s eight assists were to Gordon, who dunked twice off Jokic passes.

The Nuggets, looking to move up in the Western Conference standings and make another run to the West finals, traded Gary Harris and RJ Hampton to Orlando for Gordon while also acquiring JaVale McGee, who did not play, from Cleveland.

The Nuggets got a glimpse of Gordon’s versatility as the forward switched on defense and stayed in front of Atlanta’s Trae Young on one possession.

“The main thing and the best thing that he did is that he accepted the role,” Jokic said. “He knows why he came here, he knows what he can do and he knows how he can help and he is doing that. Defense or offense, it doesn’t matter, he accepts it and is embracing it.

“I think he kind of saw how we played and he didn’t try to do too much. He saw that if he’s open, the ball is going to find him. Really good debut for him.”

And Gordon can see many more dunks to come playing alongside one of the game’s best passers in Jokic.

“I’m starting to see the run-outs,” said Gordon, who played 20 minutes. “His outlet passing is incredible. I haven’t seen an outlet passer that good … So looking forward to getting a lot of run-outs.”

Read original article here

Sports

2021 NBA trade deadline tracker: Rockets send Victor Oladipo to Heat; Magic deal Aaron Gordon to Nuggets

Leave a comment

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and while it started as a fairly quiet day, things picked up in a major way in the final lead-up to Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. Teams are actively shopping big names like Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo so there could still be plenty of trades still to come. 

There may not be a blockbuster trade like the one made for James Harden earlier this season, but with multiple All-Stars already changing teams on Thursday, there have been plenty of large and small moves that will impact the stretch run of the 2020-21 campaign as we move closer and closer to the playoff race.

Heat get Oladipo from Rockets for Olynyk, Bradley, pick swap 

The Houston Rockets are trading Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap. The deal marks the end of Oladipo’s brief tenure in Houston. Oladipo had previously spent the past three seasons and change with the Indiana Pacers, but was surprisingly dealt to the Rockets as part of the James Harden blockbuster. At that point, Houston appeared interested in remaining competitive after dealing Harden. However, those dreams were dashed when Christian Wood went down with an ankle injury and the Rockets lost 20 games in a row. Now Houston is shipping Oladipo out months before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. 

JJ Redick was one of the best veteran shooters available on the market in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline and he will be moving on from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Dallas Mavericks after the two sides came to an agreement on a deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The full details of this swap are being worked out but Redick and Nicolo Melli will be joining Luka Doncic in Dallas. 

In an extremely rare move, the San Antonio Spurs have swung an in-season trade. While the franchise could not find a taker for veteran forward LaMarcus Aldridge, they were able to bolster their frontcourt by acquiring Marquese Chriss from the Warriors in exchange for Cody Lalanne. 

The Chicago Bulls made another deal right before the 3 p.m. ET deadline after agreeing to acquire veteran big man Daniel Theis from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Moe Wagner, who they had traded for in a separate deal with the Washington Wizards earlier in the day. 

Clippers get Rondo from Hawks for Lou Williams, picks and cash

The Los Angeles Clippers are acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Lou Williams, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The Hawks will also get cash and two second-round picks from the Clippers. The Clippers pursued Rondo this offseason, but could not make the money work once they used their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Serge Ibaka. Williams, however, makes almost exactly the same amount of money as Rondo, so a trade became feasible from there. 

Another Raptors guard not named Kyle Lowry is on the move ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Terence Davis will be sent to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a future second-round pick. Davis, a second-year guard out of Ole Miss, will provide the Kings with another scoring option off of the bench while Toronto adds future draft capital.

Jazz acquire Matt Thomas from Raptors for second-round pick

While it isn’t the Raptors trade that the rest of the league is waiting on pins and needles for, Toronto has reportedly agreed to send reserve guard Matt Thomas to the Utah Jazz in exchange for a future second-round pick, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Thomas will provide the Jazz with another perimeter threat off of the bench as the second-year guard is shooting 47.5 percent from beyond the arc on 2.4 attempts per game this season. For Toronto, this move opens up a roster spot to take on an additional player in a potential Lowry trade.

76ers acquire George Hill in three-team deal with Knicks, Thunder

The Philadelphia 76ers have made a move to bolster their bench ahead of the upcoming playoff push. Before the trade deadline on Thursday, the Sixers traded backup center Tony Bradley, reserve wing Terrance Ferguson, and two future second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for veteran guard George Hill, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The trade is a three-way deal that also includes the New York Knicks. The Knicks will receive Ferguson and send forward Iggy Brazdeikis to Philadelphia. Additionally, Austin Rivers will be moved from the Knicks to the Thunder. The second-round picks that the Sixers are sending to the Thunder are in 2025 and 2026. 

Raptors trade Norman Powell to Blazers for Trent Jr. and Hood

Norman Powell was considered to be one of the more under-the-radar players expected to be moved at the deadline that could have a real impact on a contender. Well, it appears as though he will be heading to Portland in hopes of taking the Trail Blazers to the next level as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Powell will join the Blazers in exchange for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.  

While it wasn’t as big of a deal as some of the others that we saw come down before the deadline, the Kings and Heat did come together to complete a trade that sends Nemanja Bjelica to South Beach while Moe Harkless and Chris Silva will be heading to Sacramento, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 

Magic send Aaron Gordon to Denver for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton

The Orlando Magic are trading forward Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a first-round pick according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The move ends years of speculation about Gordon’s status in Orlando. The Magic have largely been a lottery team ever since they drafted Gordon in 2014, and while he may have rescinded it, it’s worth noting that he reportedly requested a trade in February. He went on to express his frustration at the situation after a loss Tuesday, and now, he’ll continue his career on a new team.

Wizards trade Brown, Wagner to Bulls for Gafford, Hutchison

The Bulls aren’t done yet today. After trading for All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic, Chicago traded Gafford and Hutchison for Brown and Wagner, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Bulls get some bench depth, and the Wizards get some young forwards in Gafford and Hutchison, both of whom didn’t receive a ton of playing time with the Bulls. Now on a Wizards team that has struggled to find consistent success this season, both of them will get ample opportunity to show what they can offer.

After being involved in rumors all week about potential trade packages with the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics have indeed traded for Evan Fournier, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Celtics are reportedly sending two second-round picks back to the Magic, though that hasn’t been made official. It’s not the big package Celtics fans might’ve been hoping for. It doesn’t include Aaron Gordon or Nikola Vucevic, the latter of whom was traded to Chicago earlier. But Fournier is a legit knock-down shooter who will support Boston’s plethora of one-on-one creation with spacing while generating his own offense as well. 

Magic trade Vucevic, Aminu to Bulls for Carter Jr., draft picks

The Orlando Magic are trading All-Star Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls for Otto Porter, Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks. After weeks of speculation, Orlando pulls off a trade sending its best player to Chicago in exchange for a young big man in Carter Jr. 

Cavaliers trade JaVale McGee to Nuggets

The Cavaliers are trading JaVale McGee to the Denver Nuggets for third-year center Isaiah Hartenstein and two future protected second-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Trading for McGee gives the Nuggets some rim protection on defense, as he’s averaging 1.2 blocks a game. Denver ranks 11th in the league in points allowed in the paint (48.8), and adding McGee could potentially help with that. In 33 games with Cleveland, McGee averaged eight points and 5.2 rebounds while coming off the bench for the Cavaliers. McGee wasn’t getting a ton of consistent minutes with Cleveland, and being traded to Denver allows him to once again join a contending team.

To kick things off leading into the trade deadline, Detroit worked out a deal to send Wright to Sacramento in exchange for Joseph and two second round picks, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. This move was primarily made for financial reasons for the Pistons, as Wright is owed $8.5 million next season, while Joseph is only guaranteed $2.4 million of the $12.6 million he’s expected to make next year. After trading away Derrick Rose and buying out Blake Griffin, the Pistons are fully focused on their younger players, and shipping off Wright, who they traded for prior to the start of this season, allows the younger guards on the team to get more opportunity. 

L.A. traded Kabengele, who was the 27th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, to the Kings for a heavily protected second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers don’t get much in this trade, but for Kabengele, he’ll likely get more playing opportunity in Sacramento for a team that is far outside the playoff picture this season. It gives the Kings a young player for a low price, one who could potentially play himself into the rotation.

require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-219/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});



Read original article here

Sports

Golden Nuggets: “Keep an eye on Seattle for Darnold”

Leave a comment

So, Monday was a slow news day for the San Francisco 49ers. The questions that remain now are who becomes WR3 with the departure of Kendrick Bourne? Will signing Jason Verrett stop the team from drafting a cornerback with their first few selections in the 2021 NFL Draft? We’ll see if anything happens on the quarterback/left tackle front next.

Pete Carroll high on Sam Darnold as possible Russell Wilson replacement: source

“Keep an eye on Seattle for Darnold,” the source said.

The Jets, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, have been fielding calls on Darnold, 23. The Denver Broncos, Washington Football Team and San Francisco 49ers are believed to be among the interested teams.

Word on the street is that the Chicago Bears are leading the charge in pursuit of Wilson, with GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy on the hot seat entering their fourth year as a tandem in the Windy City.

49ers should still prioritize CB in draft after re-signing Jason Verrett

The 49ers don’t need to go spend more money on corners in free agency (nickel corner notwithstanding), but it’s still a position they should be prioritizing in the draft. While they may not need to go that direction in the first round, it should still be an option on Day 2. They’ll need quality depth at that spot not only to back up Verrett in the event he’s unavailable, but also in the event he plays well and leaves next year in free agency. Having an inexpensive player familiar with the defense already on the roster would put the 49ers in a much better spot than if they let the CB depth issue linger into 2022.

Patriots Sign Kendrick Bourne

Had the 49ers matched this Patriots offer and kept Bourne, he would have become by far the highest-paid wide receiver on the 49ers. So it’s no wonder they let him go and signed cheaper free agents such as Kyle Juszczyk, Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley and Samson Ebukam.

Because as good and dependable as Bourne is, he’s only the third-best wide receiver on the 49ers when everyone is healthy — Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are better than him. And the 49ers can’t spend nearly $8 million annually on a No. 3 wide receiver, when they want to use just two wide receivers as much as possible. So Bourne had to go.

San Francisco 49ers’ necessities during free agency include QB help – San Francisco 49ers Blog- ESPN

While we can’t completely rule out the Niners moving on from Garoppolo, the more pressing matter for now is how they improve behind him so if he does stay and again struggles with injuries the Niners won’t have another lost season.

For now, the Niners have Garoppolo, Josh Rosen and Josh Johnson under contract. If Garoppolo remains, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Niners added a veteran in free agency or trade and drafted a developmental prospect.

Multiple reports have indicated the Niners have interest in New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. A trade for Darnold wouldn’t likely be to replace Garoppolo but to bring in a starting caliber backup who could push him. Still, that would only be a match if the price for Darnold isn’t too exorbitant because he can be a free agent after next season.

2021 NFL mock draft: QBs go 1-2-3 as Panthers, 49ers, Patriots go big on trades

6. ***TRADE***

San Francisco 49ers receive:

No. 6 overall

Philadelphia Eagles receive:

No. 12 overall

No. 103 overall

2022 second-round pick

San Francisco 49ers — Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Would this be enough for the Eagles to pass up Kyle Pitts? They’d probably prefer the second-rounder this year, but that would leave San Francisco without anything from No. 6 to No. 103, so they tried to find a win-win.

Phillip Dorsett, Carlos Hyde sign with Jacksonville Jaguars

Hyde was Seattle’s backup running back but did miss several regular season games to injury and to illness. He had 81 carries for 356 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 16 catches for 93 yards. In other words your typical backup running back.

Jacksonville’s coaching staff is populated with former Seahawks — Brian Schottenheimer is the QBs coach, Brian Schneider is the Special Teams Coordinator, and Darrell Bevell is the Offensive Coordinator. Now they’re going after players too.

Report: John Johnson signing with Browns

Johnson, 25, was one of the top safeties on the free agent market this year. A third round pick out of Boston College in 2017, Johnson has started 48 games in his career and posted eight interceptions during that time. In his second season, Johnson recorded a career-high 119 tackles with four interceptions, but then he missed 10 games in year three. Last season, Johnson had arguably his best campaign, calling plays for defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and never leaving the field.

Johnson had 105 tackles and eight passes defensed for LA’s number one ranked defense of 2020.

Cardinals tender RFA Zeke Turner; re-signed Andy Lee to a one-year deal

The soon-to-be 39-year-old has been a consistent punter for the Cardinals since joining the team in 2018.

Lee averaged 44.8 yards per punt while landing 21 punts within the 20-yard line last season. He also completed that 26-yard pass to Zeke Turner in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Read original article here

Sports

Recap: Nuggets lose to Mavericks

Leave a comment

The Mavericks brought the fire on a cold night in Denver, scorching the nets from the 3-point line to easily dispatch the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Luka Doncic had a double-double with 21 points and 12 assists, and Kristaps Porzingis had a huge night shooting with 25 points, including a dagger 36-foot 3-pointer to clinch the game.

Nikola Jokic had another double-double with 26 points and 11 assists, but the rest of the team looked like they had eaten a double-double burger with a large fry and milkshake before the game as the offense and defense struggled with energy on the second night of a back-to-back immediately following the All-Star break. Jamal Murray had another terrible game, unable to get his shot to fall and anchoring the bench lineup with his play in the second quarter.

MPJ had 23 points on nine shots, but struggled with foul trouble in the first half that limited his impact in the game when it mattered.

Paul Millsap was reinserted into the starting lineup with his recovery from his injury, with Monte Morris unavailable with a quad injury. Will Barton had a nice start to the game, knocking down a 3-pointer from the left wing and then getting the ball into Jokic in the post for an easy basket against Kristaps Porzingis. MPJ picked up two fouls in the first four minutes, and PJ Dozier got the early call from Coach Malone. Dozier immediately picked up a steal, hammering home an uncontested two-handed dunk. Porzingis scored five quick points, but a 3-pointer from Millsap helped keep the Nuggets in the lead. Jokic was able to draw a double-team after pushing Porzingis around in the post, kicking the ball out to Barton for a triple, and repeated the same pattern on the next possession for a midrange jumper.

Murray continued to struggle to convert shot attempts into baskets, badly missing his two shot attempts, and the Mavericks were able to close the quarter on a 10-2 run with the score at 29-28, advantage Denver. Vlatko Cancar was just a hair too slow on a scramble layup to beat the buzzer, which would have given Denver a three point lead.

The Mavericks momentum continued on into the second quarter, as they scored the first two baskets, but JaMychal Green was able to answer with a 3-pointer to keep things close. The Nuggets bench struggled to get points with Murray’s slow start, missing jumpers and committing turnovers. MPJ checked back in, fouled Dwight Powell trying to break up an alley-oop attempt, and went straight back to the bench for Paul Millsap. Doncic tossed in a 3-pointer to put Dallas up by eight points, and the game started to feel like it was slipping away.

Jokic checked back in with about seven minutes left in the second quarter, shortly after Murray broke his shooting slump at 17 consecutive missed shots with a putback. Jokic went to work quickly in the post, spinning past Porzingis for a bucket in the paint. Will Barton would get the game within six points with a layup, but Denver wouldn’t cut the gap down any further that quarter.

The Mavericks opened the third quarter with five 3-pointers, torching the Nuggets from long range to Malone’s chagrin. Doncic got called for a technical for verbally going after a referee, but that was the only stop the Nuggets could get early as they fell behind by double digits. Jamal Murray threw the ball away, leading to a transition 3-pointer, and another missed shot lead to a Brunson layup to push the Mavericks lead to 20 points. They finally decided to start going back to Jokic, who was able to score and draw a foul against Porzingis, giving the team a quick shot of energy. They found themselves on the wrong side of a 93-73 score at the end of the third quarter.

They didn’t outscore the Mavericks by 20 points in the fourth quarter. Not enough energy, fatigue lead to turnovers and missed shots, didn’t have enough skill players off the bench to hang with a talented team. On to Indiana.

The Mavericks kind of let their foot off the gas in the first half of the fourth quarter, and Michael Porter Jr was more than willing to take advantage of that loss of focus. The Nuggets forward had 15 points in the first six minutes of the quarter, with a green light from the 3-point line to try to cut the lead to single digits before the clock showed zeroes. Denver won a challenge on a block by Facu Campazzo on Doncic, and a Jokic 3-pointer cut the lead to 12 points. A couple bad offensive possessions however, and the game was quickly back firmly in favor of the Mavericks with three minutes remaining. Porzingis saved an ugly possession with a 36-foot 3-pointer with about three minutes left, and both teams emptied their benches to finish out the game.

Read original article here

Sports

Recap: Denver Nuggets collapse in second half, get blown out by Los Angeles Lakers

Leave a comment

The Denver Nuggets got off to a hot start against the Los Angeles Lakers and led by double digits at half time. Unfortunately, a heavy Lakers whistle and a heavy dose of LeBron James combined with a complete meltdown from Denver ended up making the game do a 180. LeBron got a triple double while Nikola Jokic had a quiet night and the Lakers once again proved to be too much for Denver.

Jokic started the game by feasting on Marc Gasol who could do nothing to stop him. That helped Denver open up a five point lead but LeBron was also playing well which kept Denver from getting ahead by more. Jamal Murray also was aggressive to start with a couple buckets early on. The Lakers hung tough behind LeBron though and the game was very tight when the benches started coming in. Dennis Shroder and Anthony Davis carried the load while LeBron got a rest. Denver’s bench got a boost from Monte Morris and Michael Porter Jr. though to keep them in front. After one it was Nuggets thirty, Lakers twenty-seven.

The bench was filled with energy to start the second quarter and they utilized a 2-3 zone which gave the Lakers some issues. That helped the lead grow for Denver, who got ahead by six behind Morris, MPJ and JaMychal Green. The Lakers pushed back but they couldn’t string together enough baskets to cut into Denver’s lead. Unfortunately right when LA went cold so did Denver so their lead stayed right around 8 for several minutes. The Lakers flat out couldn’t buy a bucket though and eventually the Nuggets lead pushed to double digits. LeBron really was the anyone doing anything for LA, though the TNT announcing crew thought Schroder elevated to all NBA by diving on the floor. The Nuggets offense stalled a bit with the half ending but it didn’t hurt them much. At the close of the second they were still up by a dozen.

The second half opened with three quick foul calls on Denver in the first ninety seconds including a pair of and-ones for the Lakers. Every single call went LA’s way early in the third and the Nugget lead was down to five forcing Michael Malone to take a timeout. The Nuggets found some momentum behind Murray to hold off the Lakers run and held the lead at five at the halfway point of the quarter. The Lakers weren’t doing much in the way of offense but they got to the free throw line and kept the pressure on Denver. The Nuggets went ice cold with the quarter winding down and a nice fade away from LeBron got the Lakers the lead with a little over a minute to go. The next ninety seconds were the worst Denver’s bench has probably played all season, falling behind by eight on a 15-0 Los Angeles run.

The Nuggets offered no resistance to start the fourth which made Malone call a rage timeout with little over a minute gone in the fourth. The Nuggets play was just sloppy. They’d get a bucket but then fall asleep on defense or turn it over on the other way down. The Lakers lead ballooned to fourteen and it felt like all the air was out of Denver’s sails. Jokic took one last stab at it and got Denver within ten before a Lakers timeout and subsequent 5-0 run pushed the lead right back up again. Lebron threw a few more highlight passes and messed around and picked up a triple double. The deep bench checked in and it was done. Nuggets collapse in the second half, lose 114-93.

Read original article here

Sports

Golden Nuggets: Will Stafford be the first QB domino to fall?

Leave a comment

It feels like we’ve had every unverified account say that Matthew Stafford is headed to the 49ers other than Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. The rumor mill isn’t heating up — we’re well past that stage — it’s overflowing.

Former Shanahan QB believes 49ers will look to replace Garoppolo

“You look at those championship games: (there were) four great quarterbacks playing in those championship games.”

“Do they have a great quarterback? They don’t. In my opinion, they don’t have a great quarterback,” Rosenfels said. “They have a good NFL starter, I think. But not a great quarterback, and they’re definitely on the hunt for that.”

“They know Jimmy’s probably good enough to get back there. But could we get somebody who could get back there regularly?”

“NFL quarterbacks should not miss many throws. They just shouldn’t. And that’s probably when he gets most frustrated.”

The NFL teams that need Deshaun Watson the most, ranked

3 San Francisco 49ers

The window for that defense is going to close faster than 49ers fans realize. The 49ers should be all-in mode. A Watson-Shanahan combo would instantly make them the favorites in the NFC next year.

49ers legend Rathman announces his retirement from coaching

“He made an immediate impact in our running back room upon his arrival and he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the development of our backs into multifaceted players. We’ll miss hearing his infamous, ‘Squeeze it!’ from the sideline at practice and on game day.”

“It’s been fantastic,” Rathman said in 2017 of his time with the 49ers. “Just going back to the playing days in the DeBartolo era. Playing for the organization and coaching for Eddie and the York family and Jed. They’ve shown me nothing but respect. I have no hard feelings.

“I still feel like I’m part of the family. Even though I won’t be there, I’ll still feel part of the family.”

A 49ers’ cost-benefit analysis of Jimmy Garoppolo and QB trade options

Detroit cap hits

• 2021: $33 million

— $9.5 million base salary

— $13 million prorated bonus

— $10 million roster bonus

— $500,000 workout bonus

• 2022: $26 million

New team’s cap hits if traded

• 2021: $20 million

• 2022: $23 million

Garoppolo’s cap hit is set to be $26.9 million in 2021. Stafford’s number would only be $20 million for the 49ers. Though those cap savings obviously aren’t as big as the ones Watson’s contract would bring, keep in mind that any trade for Stafford would likely involve a contract extension that’d further lower his cap hit.

SF 49ers: 3 things to know about new DC DeMeco Ryans

Ryans effectively outperformed his rookie teammate, Williams, throughout the season. He picked up 156 total tackles which put him second in the league in that stat, and a whopping 126 of those were solo tackles which led the league. He also logged 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.

For his amazing rookie performance, he earned the 2006 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

How—and Why—the Senior Bowl Is Happening

What’s the first quarterbacking domino to fall?

I think it’s probably Matthew Stafford, and as a result of that, I think it was smart for the Lions to be aggressive in getting word out there.

The bottom line: We don’t know exactly what San Francisco or Vegas or the Rams are going to do, nor is there true certainty on how the Dolphins and Jets will make use of their Top-3 picks. So if you’re a quarterback-hungry team right now, the Lions are your first call. And with a chance of supply outweighing demand on the quarterback market a month from now, the best idea for a seller is to get ahead of that potential problem.

Read original article here

Sports

Golden Nuggets: Breer says the 49ers tried to trade Garoppolo last offseason to the Colts

Leave a comment

Just when you thought the quarterback rumors would die down, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer drops this nugget in an article:

MMQB: How Tom Brady Lifted the Bucs and the Chiefs Returned to Meet Them in Super Bowl LV

Indianapolis seems like the natural landing spot for Stafford. The question, then, becomes whether GM Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich would see Stafford as a Band-Aid or more than that. The team went with a Band-Aid last year, in Rivers, after taking a shot with Jacoby Brissett in 2019 (and that was after Jimmy Garoppolo’s name briefly came up in the DeForest Buckner trade talks with San Francisco). Might they want to fix the position once and for all? I think that would be preferable. You could point to the Buckner trade as an example of Ballard being aggressive in the way he’d have to be on Stafford—but Buckner’s 26 and a definite long-term cornerstone.

Deshaun Watson or Matthew Stafford would fit 49ers like a glove – San Francisco 49ers Blog- ESPN

Perhaps lost in the Niners’ plan to sign Kirk Cousins after the 2017 season was they’d spent a lot of time with Watson in the run up to the 2017 draft. They had a private workout with him at Clemson and he was one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visitors. But the 49ers passed on Watson and every other first-round quarterback because they had their eyes on Cousins, although that never happened because of the trade for Garoppolo.

Nearly four years later, it’s easy to picture Watson thriving in Shanahan’s offense. His mobility and deep ball accuracy (45.4% completion rate on throws 20-plus yards downfield is second in the NFL since he entered the league), would allow the offense to take a leap forward and stress defenses in ways heretofore unseen.

What’s more, the cap charge for a team acquiring Watson is around $10 million. Garoppolo is scheduled to count $26.9 million against the cap next year and the Niners would incur $2.8 million in dead money by trading or releasing him. The money saved at quarterback would give the Niners a sizable chunk to re-sign left tackle Trent Williams.

Jerry Rice: Aaron Rodgers’ draft grudge too strong for him to explore 49ers trade

“Aaron is not going to want to come here,” Rice said Monday during an appearance on 95.7 The Game. “Aaron is not going to want to come here because the 49ers didn’t draft him. He’s still got that grudge. He’s still got that on his shoulders. I’m not saying this guy is not going to stay in Green Bay because it’s got to be frustrating to him because he has lost the last two championship games.”

San Francisco 49ers increase Leeds United stake to 37%

Leeds United’s partnership with 49ers Enterprises has just been massively boosted with the announcement that the NFL giants have upped their initial ~10% stake in the club. The exact cash injection is as yet unknown, but is thought to stand at around £50 million.

“Our 49ers Enterprises team has always shared Andrea’s vision for constructing a powerful and winning club in the most competitive football league in the world, and the experience of the last three seasons has been more exhilarating than we could have ever imagined,” said Marathe.

“The hard work and bold leadership demonstrated by Andrea and his talented team has restored Leeds United’s rightful place in the Premier League and we look forward to playing an even bigger role in supporting their efforts to climb the table this year and into the future.”

“We are increasing our investment in Leeds United now to support and augment the organizational infrastructure needed to remain competitive in the Premier League,” added Marathe.

The San Francisco 49ers Once Went Through A Redesign So Disastrous It Lasted Less Than A Week

By February 1991, the 49ers were still one of the premier teams in football. The previous month, they had just come off a heartbreaking loss in the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants. That defeat derailed their attempt to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, a feat which has still yet to be accomplished.

Changes were in store for the 49ers for 1991 both on and off the field. Franchise quarterback Joe Montana suffered a brutal injury during the NFC Championship Game that would put him out of action for all of the following season. In the front office, Carmen Policy ascended to the position of team president.

Perhaps sensing a new era, the 49ers contracted Stevens Wright, who had already done work for several NFL teams. In particular, he designed the Buffalo Bills’ “charging buffalo” logo, which is still in use to this day.

Read original article here